The idea of certain motifs repeating like poetry is often enough to really keep viewers invested (and occasionally enough to make Star Wars fans cry). So with a franchise like the Marvel Cinematic Universe which has now been setting records for well over a decade, it seems only natural that certain elements would show up again and again.
Some might expect to hear about musical cues that play in each film or every appearance by Stan Lee throughout the years. But there's a more subtle example that's recently begun to make its way through Marvel's new hot and fresh batch of Disney+ shows, and it almost went unnoticed. Luckily, though, the ever-watching eyes of Reddit caught the trend, exposing it for the masses and raking in those sweet karma points.
Reddit user PersonalDemand3793 recently shed light on the phenomenon, posting a picture showcasing a certain style of shot seen in 3 of Marvel's latest offerings. The image shows off 3 remarkably similar scenes from WandaVision, Loki, and What If...? (respectively) that depict two characters sharing a rather tearful farewell as one of them slowly disintegrates. While that may seem like an oddly specific set of circumstances out of context, Marvel somehow manages to find its stories in that situation remarkably often.
The first of the 3 shots features Wanda Maximoff caressing the face of Vision as he fades away along with the rest of her magically constructed world. The second is a little more abrupt, showing Sylvie look on in horror as Loki is "pruned" from behind by Judge Renslayer. Finally, the last depicts the "evil" Dr. Strange from What If...? episode 4 watching helplessly as Dr. Christine Palmer fades away despite (or perhaps as the result of) his obsessive use of time magic. It seems Marvel has no qualms about reusing a style when it really works for them.
Considering the infamously dusty way Infinity War ended, it makes sense that Marvel would continue to call back to that moment now and then. As several Reddit users pointed out in the comments, disintegration makes for an excellent death scene, as it takes just enough time for a tearful farewell while getting nice shots of both people's faces. It's also so helpful that this sort of demise always happens to leave the face for last. Very considerate of the unstoppable force of death to allow that convenience.
It just goes to show that Marvel seems to have a plan for everything. At the very least, they think things out enough to provide for a nice cohesive feeling across their various projects. Even so, though, here's hoping they find a new motif going forward. The rule of 3 is a good one to keep.
Source: PersonalDemand3793|Reddit